Like it or not, the Millennials are coming.One thing is clear: the distribution industry is suffering from a talent gap. In ID’s "2015 Survey of Distributor Operations," nearly one-third of distributor respondents told us that “finding more qualified people” was currently a primary concern.

According to a recent report by PwC, Millennials make up 25 percent of the workforce in the U.S., and should account for 50 percent as soon as 2020. With this in mind, whether or not businesses have the Millennial set in their crosshairs is irrelevant; they’re truly the future of any business.

New RecruitsFor some industries, industrial distribution included, recruiting this next generation presents more of a challenge than simply identifying their needs. Reasons vary, but industrial distribution has long been viewed anecdotally as “invisible” to the general populace. Craig McCollum is an expert on both distribution and Millennials – the former based on his experience as Executive Vice President of Americas for the business software company Epicor, an organization that reaches manufacturing, distribution and retail entities. McCollum says he’s long-studied the transition to the Millennial workforce, both at Epicor and in his personal life, where he has two Millennial aged children, one of whom co-owns a sandwich shop franchise with McCollum, employing a predominantly Millennial workforce.

From his perspective, there is certainly an awareness problem when it comes to recruiting these younger folks into distribution. But besides this, Millennials want to feel as though they’re making a difference, and it’s possible they simply don’t understand the distributor business model, especially where service is concerned. “We have a similar problem in the manufacturing area where it’s viewed a certain way: blue collar, not a whole lot of value added, and therefore people are shying away from it,” explains McCollum. “We need to make a concerted effort to make sure there is an awareness of what being a part of this industry actually means, and the value that it brings to customers.” This might mean actively working with local schools to educate students on the fact that distribution is more than just filling orders.

What They WantAnalysts have been studying these generational shifts for years and there is much consensus around additional must-haves for Millennial workers. According to a 2015 report by Ernst & Young, flexibility is one of the biggest benefits these employees look for. Specifically, 75 percent want the ability to work flexibly and still be on track for a promotion, said the study. In fact, 80 percent of those surveyed said their top reason to stay on a job was a competitive pay and benefits package that included flexibility.The flexibility issue creates challenges for certain industries, especially those in more “blue-collar” roles like fulfillment where telecommuting is a non-starter. Employers requiring a certain set of hours (including rigid start and stop times in a shift-based environment) might look to other opportunities like a flexible benefits plan, including flex spending accounts for medical or dependent care. Other options might be job sharing, or compressed work weeks where time off is balanced against the schedules of other team members.

Another benefit Millennials require is parental leave: 86 percent said they would be less likely to quit a job where paid parental leave is offered. In the U.S., the number of private employers who offer paid leave is 1 in 5, meaning businesses who look at offering this benefit could wind up with an advantage in a working world where it’s still relatively uncommon.

Bridging a Skill, Generational GapWhile Millennials are quickly filtering their way into every field, there’s another interesting phenomenon in play that adds some complexity to how they are received. According to a 2015 study by Princeton-based Educational Testing Service (ETS), Millennials in the U.S. fall short when it comes to the skills employers want most: literacy (including the ability to follow simple instructions), practical math, and, shockingly, a category called “problem-solving in technology-rich environments.” According to the study, as reported by Fortune, not only do Gen Y Americans lag far behind their overseas peers by every measure, but they even score lower than other age groups of Americans.

With this in mind, it’s important that distributors consider their on-boarding strategies, stressing adequate training, identifying goals and, perhaps, establishing a mentorship-type program. McCollum has seen success with mentoring at Epicor, where they “try to take the folks who have extensive and deep domain expertise in a given area, match them up with someone who is coming in – who’s probably more tech savvy and innovative – and having them work together so they both see the value the other person brings,” he explains.Establishing these kinds of connections between people might also address some of the inter-generational tension McCollum suggests can be common. “One recent statistic shows that almost 70 percent of workers view the work environment to be tense because of clashes between these two different generations,” he says. “The question is, how do we optimize the environment so it’s conducive to both and, as a result, get them to engage and hopefully be more productive?”

Will Millennials Drive Disintermediation?A lack of understanding of the distributor business model might come back to bite sellers as Millennials also join the purchasing field. A recent study by UPS revealed that Millennials were more inclined to purchase direct from a manufacturer, suggesting that they are less likely to see the value of purchasing through an intermediary. And not only are these buyers more apt to go direct, they’re also more likely to make purchases through third-party websites. In fact, 51 percent said they have already made purchases through marketplaces such as Amazon and Alibaba. “For distributors, it’s important to be very clear as to the additional value that they can add through services – in addition to the products they might be selling – so these consumers don’t end up going back to the source,” says McCollum.

Like many others, I’m actively watching and following the presidential debates. Bernie! Hillary! Trump! Cruz! While the outlandish behaviors during the recent debates have made for entertaining TV (sad but true) and satirical water-cooler fodder, it occurs to me that those behaviors would also make for alarmingly unproductive meetings at work.

Here are five proof points that your business meetings are operating like political debates and thereby impacting those meetings' effectiveness, as well as jeopardizing your reputation:

1. Questions go unanswered.People deflect answering a question by redirecting it to someone else or pivoting to an irrelevant topic that they can (or prefer to) speak to.2. The facts are being twisted.Speakers who are clever and calculating can manipulate the facts or falsely rewrite history to support their point of view.

3. People are talking 'over' one other.People aren’t listening to what the other has to say. Instead, a fight is being waged to take up as much air space as possible. Each person keeps repeating his or her same talking points, waiting until someone finally relents from exhaustion.

4. The originator loses control of the meeting.Someone who lacks respect for others and has a bigger louder voice or title hijacks the meeting to make it his (her) own, thus frustrating all participants.

5. It gets personal.People take aim at one other’s character or abilities rather than focusing on the business issues. The meeting becomes highly subjective, versus objective, and people quickly feel under attack and put off; they then disengage.

Alternately, here are five tips to ensure your meetings are productive and effective:

Set the agenda in advance. People should know why you are calling the meeting, what you hope to accomplish and what key topics are to be covered. This should be included as part of the meeting invite.Prep people ahead of time. If you are expecting people to contribute, they must be notified beforehand and made aware of their role in the meeting.Set the tone. From the outset of the meeting, lay out the agenda, the time frame and the intended results. Establish ground rules such as, "Only one person can talk at a time," and stick to it.Keep control. You called the meeting, and you need to maintain order. Rein people in if they go off on a tangent, and keep everyone focused on the agenda. Don’t allow bad behavior to permeate your meeting.Recap. Before everyone scatters to the next meeting, make sure to allow five minutes at the end to summarize the decisions made and the actions to be taken moving forward.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with healthy debates and vigorous discussion in business meetings. However, in most business settings, time and resources are precious commodities that need to be managed accordingly. To be a successful respected leader, you must be able to run effective meetings with a firm hand that can engage, inspire and motivate.